For some time, I've been interested in identifying a way to make close-up photographs, including overhead photographs:
- that could be used outdoors as well as indoors;
- that will support a 4x5 camera as well as a medium format or 35mm camera;
- and that's portable.
I envisage using the setup with a full-size tripod, but also with the short ground tripod in the first photo below. The problem, in particular for overhead shots, is keeping the tripod legs out of the image and from affecting the image either by casting shadows or by blocking part of the light.
Ground Tripod:
I think that I've come up with a solution, and I'm interested in how others have solved this problem. It took me some time to figure out the Gitzo solution that I've adopted, so I've included enough detail below to perhaps save others some time. I purchased the components from B&H this morning, and I'll post a follow-up this weekend.
Gitzo makes a clamp on a panning base that will turn a tripod centre column into a lateral arm. It's made this clamp for decades, going back to before Gitzo made carbon fibre tripods. The clamp looks like this:
The clamp requires one of the centre columns for Gitzo's Series 5 tripods, which are the most robust tripods that the company makes. Gitzo makes four centre columns for its Series 5 tripods. With the "Rapid" and Telescopic" columns, one simply slides the column up and down. For the Standard and Long "Geared" columns, one uses a crank to raise and lower the column. The crank is attached to a gearbox, which in turn meshes with teeth on the centre column.
While the panning base and clamp require a Series 5 centre column to work, this can be mounted on any tripod with a decent sized flat plate. I expect it to work fine with my Gitzo Series 3 tripod and with the Really Right Stuff ground tripod pictured above.
Gitzo Series 5 Rapid Centre Column (carbon fibre):
Gitzo Series 5 Long Geared Centre Column (aluminium):
I was attracted to the Long Geared Column's longer travel compared to the standard Rapid and Geared columns, and I think that incremental, geared travel will be helpful for close-up photography. I would not use the Telescopic column as a lateral arm.
As is always the case with Gitzo, these components are expensive. That said, I'm not particularly surprised at the prices. The market for these components is probably quite small. Over the last few days, I looked at the second-hand market, and I think that a significant amount of money can be saved by purchasing used.
In my case, B&H had both components, sold as a single unit, at a used price that was extremely attractive. The centre column is an older version (G529 in the screen capture below), but apparently in excellent condition. I expect to receive the components on Friday, and I'll post an update, probably this weekend.
Old Gitzo Catalogue, G541 panning clamp and G529 Long Geared Centre Column
(highlighted in green):
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